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carllisle · 4 years ago

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The Second Mrs Cullano

As we all know, Esme Platt is not Carlisle Cullano’s first wife, nor is she his second - she is actually his third. But she is the love of his life, the reason for his breathing, and so when he marries for the second time, it’s clear that wives are nothing to soulmates.

Esme Platt enjoys the wedding of Carlisle Cullano and the Second Mrs Cullano.

Dedicated to my literal partner in this crime, @notquitetwilight, and to our collective projection onto cringe New Jersey mob show stereotypes. Special shoutout to @stregoni-benefici and @carlislesscarf.

Esme felt a soft kiss on her shoulder and smiled. Sun was pouring through the open windows of her bedroom and there was a soft breeze that lifted her hair. He was still here. He shouldn’t have been.

“Good morning,” he whispered against her skin. “You smell so good.”

Esme rolled onto her stomach and curled around her pillow with her smile broadening. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“You kicking me out?”

“No. But I’ve got things to do, too, you know?”

Carlisle lay next to her and stroked her caramel hair, his face close to hers on her pillow. She cracked open an eye and watched him watch her. “Can I stay with you?” he whispered.

She shook her head. “Not for long. For breakfast, though, if you make it.”

“I don’t wanna leave this bed.”

“You’re gonna have to at some point, baby. You’ve got responsibilities today.”

“Tell me to stay, Esme. Tell me not to do it.” He ran a strong hand over her neck and gently wrapped it around her throat, fingers tilting her jaw to the side.

She laughed quietly, sleep making her mind hazy. “No. I want you to have a wife and a family. You’ve always wanted that, but I haven’t. I still want to be me for a while yet.”

“You wouldn’t stop being you just for being my wife.”

Esme took the hand around her throat and brought it up to kiss. Carlisle closed her eyes at the touch of her lips. “We’ve talked about this, for years. Decades. I can be your person, but I can’t be your wife. I won’t be anyone’s wife again.”

“I’m not anyone. Please, Esme. Marry me.”

She stretched her arms up and laughed. “Not today!” But she rolled over and wrapped her legs around him and pulled him against her, loving him as best she could in the soft sunrise.

After, they followed their usual routine of showering together and dressing. Since their days of teenage love they enjoyed the quiet of domesticity. Outside the walls of their homes wars raged on their streets but in her old house, in his sprawling estates, it was just them, and today was no different. He zipped her skirt and she buttoned his shirt and they walked arm in arm down the street for coffee and bagels. They took a booth at the back of the cafe, although it didn’t matter if anyone saw them - they had never been a secret. Besides, they both kept guns strapped to them and knives hidden in their jackets and coats.

Esme leaned back in her chair, blowing steam off the top of her coffee. “You’re sure about this one?”

Carlisle regarded her over his phone and considered the question. “Yeah. It’s gotta be someone, why not her?”

“It doesn’t have to be someone,” she reminded him gently. “You could go it alone. Well, as alone as you will ever be. You’ve always got me.”

“Yeah. But I want someone. I want a wife. And the wife I want doesn’t want me, so I gotta choose the next best thing. Besides, you know her family’s reputation, that’s nothing to turn my nose up at.”

“Ever the pragmatist.”

He gave her one of the smiles he saved just for her. “Aw, you hurt me, Es. I do like her. She’s got spirit, and she’s smart as hell. She likes the high life and she wants kids sooner rather than later, and… and she makes me laugh. She makes me feel wanted.”

“I think most of the east coast wants you,” Esme said quietly, avoiding his gaze. It wasn’t that she was jealous - how could she be, when he made her feel so adored all the time? - but it irritated her that this woman was able to give him what he wanted, and she couldn’t. One marriage to the wrong man had ruined the institution for her and now not even Carlisle could heal that wound. Yes, her first husband had died violently at her hand for his transgression, but that wasn’t the point. The transgression had occured in the first place. That was frightening.

“Don’t be angry, darling. You know it’s still you.” Carlisle reached over the table and stroked her hand and Esme felt safe again. She held his gaze and nodded slightly. “It’ll always be you. You’re mine, before anyone and everyone else.”

She smiled, her mood improved. He had always been happy to declare his feelings with her, and even now, on the morning of his wedding to another woman, in a nondescript coffee shop, he made her feel like the most adored woman. On the middle finger of her right hand she still wore the first expensive ring he had ever bought her, and it cost as much as her parents’ house. It was a gaudy thing, a thick diamond set on a band of smaller cut gems that they had chosen together the day after she killed Charles. It was Carlisle’s promise to her - that no matter who else came along, no matter what the world threw at them, they would love each other before anyone and anything else. He wore a similar ring she bought him on his little finger of his right hand. They never took their rings off. His first wife had hated it - understandably - but she had got her share in the divorce when Carlisle had refused to forsake Esme. She looked down at the ring and it sparkled. She’d had it cleaned for the wedding today especially.

“Are you sure me coming today is a good idea?” she asked after a long moment.

He squeezed the hand he held. “Yeah. I need you there.”

“She’ll be mad.”

“She’s always got something to be mad about. Besides, she knows the deal and you’re non-negotiable.”

“I don’t want to upset anyone on their wedding day, Carlisle.”

He shifted his chair around the table and leaned closer to her. “What about me? You wanna upset me on my wedding day?”

She bit her lip and grinned. “I never want to upset you.”

“Then be a good girl. Come for me.” He rested his hand on her thigh under the table and Esme glanced around the cafe. No one paid them any mind. “Look at me.”

She met her lover’s piercing gaze and bit her lip.

“You gonna come for me?”

She nodded and gasped quietly when he rewarded her with a kiss. Esme could taste the coffee on Carlisle’s lips. He wanted her, he needed her, and she would never let him down.

Esme’s cousin begrudgingly helped her get ready for the wedding. She said it was indecent for the mistress to turn up, let alone in a red silk dress barely held together by strands of diamonds across the back, but Esme smugly told her the groom had bought it for her especially, and who was she to refuse him? As a precaution she strapped her Colt Python to her thigh - it was an old machine, temperamental, but it made her feel powerful and she had a more reliable weapon in her clutch, as well as blades hidden in her shoes - and touched up her hair. Curls pinned to her head, diamonds dripping from her ears, and Carlisle’s dress draped across her, Esme felt more sensual than ever. When she sat in the pew at the wedding mass and thought of how the groom had sighed between her thighs mere hours before, she felt holy. She sat with his cousins a few rows back and even when the blushing bride strutted down the aisle, he couldn’t keep his eyes from Esme for long.

They were lucky to be able to have a Roman Catholic service as everyone knew that Carlisle’s first marriage had been valid, but enough money had been slipped to the dioceses to push through an annulment, and so in the eyes of the Church this was his first marriage. There was some humour in that. The familiar words were spoken, hymns and prayers recited, and after what felt like a lifetime, and no time at all, Carlisle was walking down the aisle with the new Mrs Cullano on his arm. Sadness twinged at Esme’s stomach. That could have been me. It should have been. He’s mine.

The reception was tolerable, enjoyable in its tackiness and extravagance. Everything was white and puffy and the hundreds of guests stuffed into the grand ballroom of the coastal hotel were drunk within the first course. It was how a Jersey wedding should have been, though, and Esme appreciated it for what it was. By the time the first dance came, she was lightly buzzed and enjoying catching up with the biggest names in east coast crime, many of whom were old family friends. Business people and politicians, state senators and property moguls joined them too, tying together the legitimate and illegitimate powers that kept the region affluent and fun, and most didn’t know where the legality ended and illegality started. By the time Esme snorted a line of cocaine from the chest of a mayor’s daughter she didn’t much care and the pair fell about laughing in the bathroom. As if called by the sound of Esme’s happiness, the moment was cut short by the sound of the bride herself outside.

“Lisa, can you fucking help me? This dress is a fucking nightmare, you gotta hold it up, okay?”

“You better go,” Esme advised the girl, no older than twenty-two by the looks of it, “before you meet Bridezilla up close and personal.”

The girl giggled and darted from the bathroom just as the bride scrambled her way through the door. The dress she had chosen was appropriately enormous, tight on top and blooming into an extravagant ball gown from the waist down, and Esme wasn’t surprised that she needed three bridesmaids to help her through the door.

“God, I’m dying to sit down properly-” she moaned over her shoulder before her eyes fell on Esme. Esme patted around her nose, watching her own pretty reflection in the mirror. “Oh. I didn’t know you were here.”

“I responded to your invitation,” Esme replied mildly. “Lovely dress.” She turned her attention to her lipstick and dotted a fresh coat on, pointedly ignoring the bride.

The second Mrs Cullano turned back to her bridesmaids and then looked at Esme, dithering between the two. There was a long pause before she turned to her entourage. “Stay outside. Make sure no one comes in, alright?” The bridesmaids made noises of agreement and the door swung shut, and then it was just Esme and Carlisle’s new wife.

After Mrs Cullano said nothing, Esme broke the silence. “You’ve organised a wonderful day. Are you enjoying yourself?”

Mrs Cullano’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not happy you’re here.”

“Oh?”

“I know why you’re here.”

“To see one of my dearest friends marry the woman he loves, of course.”

“Don’t play cute.”

Esme smiled sweetly. “You think I’m cute?”

“Cut the shit.”

She sighed and looked at the bride. “What’s on your mind, Mrs Cullano?”

“It’s real tacky you’re here, you know?”

“He wants me here. I came because he asked me to be here. I wouldn’t be here without an invitation.”

“I didn’t invite you.”

Esme pulled her invitation from her clutch and handed it to her. “Yes, you did.”

The bride threw it aside, angry. “Give up! I won! He doesn’t want you!”

Esme smiled at her sadly. There was nothing to say that could bring the bride any comfort. The truth was, Carlisle did want her. He wanted her more than anyone and anything, but that didn’t matter to this woman. This woman knew she had just pledged her life to a man who couldn’t love her completely. She was angry for it. “He’s my friend,” was all she could say.

“Get new friends.”

“I won’t stand in the way of your happiness, Mrs Cullano, or his. Above anything else, I love him and I want him to have the most wonderful life. I can’t give him the life he wants, but you can. Why would I jeopardize that?”

It was the wrong thing to say in hindsight. Esme knew that the moment the bride launched at her with murder in her eyes. Her clawing fingers reached out and she managed to get in one good scratch before Esme had her arms locked behind her and ready to pop from their joints. “Easy,” she whispered against Mrs Cullano’s ear. The acrylics on her fingers made her face sting, but the skin hadn’t been broken. “Calm down. Like you said, you won, you’re his wife. Don’t fight me for anything more, because you will lose, do you understand me?”

“Are you threatening me?” Mrs Cullano gasped.

Esme tightened her grip and the bride hissed. “Yes. Raise a hand to me again and Carlisle’s love for you will not save you. You want to see who he will really choose if it comes down to it? Because I do not have my doubts. Do you?”

Just as the bride’s whines rose in volume along with her pain, Esme let her go. She gripped under her elbow and held her upright to stop her from falling. “You got in a good scratch, I’ll give you that. But work on your attack and maybe you’ll take out an eye next time, alright? You’ll need protection if you’re going to love him.”

“Are you threatening me?” Mrs Cullano asked again.

There was no kindness left in Esme’s eyes. “Yes.”

The two women stared at each other for a long moment. The new bride broke first. Esme sniffed and checked her reflection before stalking out of the bathroom, not a hair out of place. She pulled on the diamond strap of her dress and was close to the ballroom door when Carlisle stepped out. His smile was so bright when he saw her and he reached for her hands. When he noticed the scratches across her face his forehead creased.

“What happened?” he asked, tender fingers touching the marks. Across the corridor there was a set of glass doors open to the terrace, and it was dark out there. There were a few wedding guests milling around but quick steps had the pair hidden in the gloom. Overhead, stars popped across the inky sky. With her arm in Carlisle’s, they found their way down garden paths and to the beach. No one saw them.

“Your wife doesn’t like me,” Esme told him, smiling. His face was barely visible in the darkness but his bright hair caught the light of the stars. Their walk eventually slowed as their shoes crunched on the sand.

“She did this?”

Esme nodded. “It’s alright, she deserved to get in a good swipe. It won’t happen again, though.”

“No, it won’t,” Carlisle replied angrily. “Who does she think she is?”

“The new Mrs Cullano, protecting the honour of her marriage,” Esme pointed out with a light laugh. “I’d do the same. I don’t mind, really. I understand her anger.”

“Esme,” he said, his voice softening. “How can I love someone who hurt you?”

“You’re the only one who can hurt me, Carlisle.” She wound an arm around the back of his shoulders and closed her eyes when he rested his forehead against hers.

“I’ll never hurt you.”

“I know.” And he never had. Not with a hand, not with a word. No one had ever loved anyone like Carlisle loved Esme, and she knew it. “You’re so good to me. What did I do to deserve you?”

Carlisle rested one hand at the small of her back and ran the fingers of his other hand up her spine. “Thank you for wearing this dress. You look beautiful.”

She smiled in the night. “Thank you for choosing it for me.”

“Gotta let the whole world see how wonderful my girl is.”

“Call me that again.”

“My girl?”

She hummed and began gently swaying, moving him to dance with her to the sound of the ocean. “You’re my person, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. And you’re my person. Always have been. Always will be.”

Carlisle’s soft kiss touched Esme’s cheek and she sighed in bliss. “I love you, Carlisle.”

“I love you, too, Esme. More than anything. Always.”

#the cullanos #ellie writes #notquitetwilight #remember how this started as shitposting #and now theres lore and emotions #anyway guys new blog coming soon who's pumped LMFAOOOO #carlesme #the literal MOST ooc carlesme you'll ever read #BUT ITS FUN AND KINDA SEXY SO #esme fucks carlisle on the morning of his wedding to someone else

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feathers-scales-and-tails · 6 years ago

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Genetically unhealthy reptiles

So there are quite a few unhealthy reptile morphs out there and I only discovered most of them by fluke, so I thought I'd make a masterpost. There are likely many more which I haven't heard of yet, so feel free to expand on this post with others.

Enigma Leopard Geckos

The Enigma morph is one that covers the Geckos body in little spots that look like freckles, very cute but it comes with a devastating condition known as "Enigma syndrome” This disorder affects a Geckos fine motor control and results in many secondary symptoms such as stargazing (looking upwards frequently), walking around in circles frequently, wobbly and difficult walking, seizures, and an inability to catch prey due to their aim being affected from this condition. Overall it significantly decreases their quality of life. An animal may not demonstrate this condition for many years, it can come on years into their life. This is a dominant genetic disorder meaning any animal which is an enigma will pass this onto offspring. Even 'healthy' appearing animals will carry this gene and pass it along to offspring. The Enigma morph needs to be phased out completely since all who are Enigma have the potential to develop this disorder.

Sunkissed Corn Snakes

The Sunkissed morph is pictured above, rather striking in its vivid colouration. However the price for it is something known as "Stargazing Syndrome" which is pictured in the right side photograph. Stargazing syndrome is a vestibular syndrome (balance affecting condition) which prevents normal functionality of the central nervous system and causes these snakes to twist their necks and heads upwards towards the sky. Basically put, these snakes can't work out which way is up and are often found upside down on their backs. It affects these snakes by causing difficulty moving, disorientation, inability to right themselves into a normal position if on their backs, and sometimes even tremors and seizures. Once again a genetic disorder, however since its recessive you often won't know if the snake is a carrier or not. The only way to tell if a snake carries the stargazing trait is to breed them; any who prove to carry this trait should never be bred again.

Spider Ball Pythons

The Spider morph is absolutely stunning, characteristic of that 'drippy' black patterning on the body and a rather unique head stamp/pattern. It can come in many varieties since it's commonly bred into other morphs such as pied, banana, etc. However it causes something called "Wobble Syndrome" which is a severe neurological disorder. This is hypothesised to be caused by an error in the neural crest during embryonic development. The neural crest is responsible for arranging neurons in the correct positions and depositing pigmentation. This morph alters where pigment is usually placed in the body, giving them the gorgeous appearance, however it consequently prevents neurons from reaching their correct positions, hence the neurological disorder. Wobble Syndrome causes many severe and debilitating issues to the snake. The most noticeable being 'corkscrewing' which is where the snake will flip it's head and neck upside down, right way up, and upside down again in quick succession. However they are also affected by head tremors, difficulty moving, lack of coordination, inability to right itself if upside down, torticollis (neck spasms), poor muscle tone, and difficulty eating due to head wobbling and missed strikes. Wobble Syndrome is a dominant genetic disorder meaning any snake which expresses the spider phenotype will suffer from and pass on this disorder to offspring. It can range from barely noticeable to severe, and an animal may not suffer at first, but can develop the disorder after several years of being 'healthy'. The Spider morph needs to be phased out completely since all who are Spider have the potential to develop this disorder.

Jaguar Carpet Pythons

The Jaguar morph has to be one of the most visually stunning morphs out there, it's characterised by it's gorgeous spots which resemble a jaguars. However the price they pay for their beauty is once again, "Wobble Syndrome". Jaguars are identical to Spider Ball Pythons in their suffering, and it's even thought that the Neural Crest deformity is the cause for these guys too. It is important to note that there are several species who can carry the jaguar gene. The gene originated in Jungle Carpet Pythons but has since been bred into other Carpet Pythons (CP for short) species such as the Irian Jaya CP, Darwin CP, Coastal CP, and Diamond CP. Pretty much the only difference with the Jaguar morph is that it is not a dominant gene like the spider morph, and it's not a recessive gene like the sunkissed morph. The Jaguar gene is a co-dominant mutation. What that means is that the Jaguar gene is visible along with whatever other gene the snake carries. You almost always have two genes for something, and in codominance neither of those genes are recessive to the other, and neither are dominating to the other either. This means both genes express, so to put that into a visual sense (but not genetically accurate!) if you bred a black and a white cat together, the offspring would be black and white if they were co-dominant. This just like the spider and enigma morph means any snake which expresses the Jaguar phenotype has the ability to develop Wobble Syndrome and will pass it along to offspring. The Jaguar morph needs to be phased out completely since all who are Jaguar have the potential to develop this disorder.

Silkback Bearded Dragons and Scaleless Snakes

Silkback bearded dragons and Scaleless snakes are exactly what they sound like, they are completely devoid of any and all scales and instead only have the layer of skin present beneath reptile scales. I admit I do not know much about Scaleless snakes, but assume they suffer the same affects as the silkback bearded dragons so have included them here. Silkback bearded dragons are produced when two leatherback bearded dragons are bred together. The leatherback gene is co-dominant (it can also be recessive) and if a dragon receives two copies of this co-dominant gene then they are a silkback. Co-dominance means two genes are working together, so one copy of leatherback and one copy of normal scales means together these genes create a dragon who has reduced spikes and scales but they still have scales! Two copies of the leatherback gene means the co-dominance has nothing to partner with, so the dragon we get is completely devoid of scales. Now, for an animal which is supposed to have scales, having no scales comes with many severe issues. The main being that they suffer extreme shedding difficulty and have no protection from sharp objects or other dragons. Scalesless animals can easily be cut or punctured from ornaments in a tank which are safe for their scaled or leatherback counterparts. Even a basking log, brick, or rock can cut them if they run against it wrong. This means their tank needs to be almost empty or only have soft, pliable decor which provides no risk of injury. This can be severely damaging to the animals mental wellbeing as there is no enrichment opportunities for the animal. Shedding wise, these animals need to be soaked in baths almost daily to maintain skin hydration, and when it comes time to shed their shed will shrink to their skin and it's often for them to lose toes, bits of tail, or even get pieces stuck around their heads and necks which can cause severe damage. You can also not breed silkback bearded dragons (am unsure about Scaleless snakes?) pairing another dragon with a silkback will cause extreme injury. If the silkback is female, the male bearded dragon will cut her open with his claws as he mounts her and he will tear her shoulders and neck open where he holds her with his mouth. These injuries can be life threatening. Furthermore, if the silkback is male he may receive lacerations and cuts to his stomach upon mounting the female or he may be critically injured if she rejects him and bites or scratches in retaliation. If all of that isn't bad enough these scaleless animals also have an increased risk of illness due to decreased immunity (immunity decreased due to unknown reason) and suffer extremely reduced lifespans. Scalesless animals are an incredibly unnatural and disgusting morph which needs to be completely phased out.

That's all for my masterpost currently. There are likely many more unhealthy morphs I have yet to hear of, so please inform me if you know of any others I've neglected to mention and I shall research and add them here. Please do not ever support or purchase one of these animals as it encourages the breeding of severely unhealthy animals with significantly reduced quality of life. With so many healthy and wonderful morphs and species available there is absolutely no reason to ever purchase one of these.

#my posts #myposts #petblr #lizard #reptile #reptileblr #lizardblr #animalblr #herp #herpblr #snake #snakeblr #bearded dragon #gecko #geckoblr #ball python #leopard gecko #carpet python #unhealthy animals

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plosive-attack · 8 years ago

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My hubby surprised me for my birthday last week with this beautiful little girl. She is a white diamond super russo. I’ve decided to name her Zuri. :)

#snakes #ball python #blue eyed leucistic #blue eyed lucy #reptiles #our snakes #super russo #white diamond #zuri #mine #pets

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so-many-efforts · 5 years ago

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@ochacostrange tagged me in a thing!

Name: Emily

Gender: female

Zodiac: Gemini

Height: 5'2"

Meyers Briggs: honestly I took that test when I was 14 and immediately forgot the thingy so I did it again now and got INFP and INTP

Favorite animal: CATS! they've been my favorite since I was little

Cats or dogs: cats are my favorite but I love dogs too

Blankets you sleep with: it doesn't really get cold here so usually don't have one but rn I use an old purple one full of holes from when my cat was teething as a kitten. At my dorm (which is considerably colder) I have a fluffy gray blanket with diamond texture and a white and silver blanket with moons and eyes at the foot of my bed

Reason for url: I really liked Mass Effect at the time and my favorite character Tali said it while drunk

Hopes for the future: I want to get my bachelor's in horticulture, go to a Hozier concert and get a ball python 🐍

When and why I made this blog: well I was in middle school so it must have been 2012? This was my first social media account ever and my best friend (then and now) was showing me her Tumblr and said I should get one too

Pictures! (Optional)

@tonysfriend42 @catsandbats13 @justfortuna @the-pink-mug-introvert @asrathemadickian @surprisebitch @luckycatlily @destructionofsanctum @pee-pan

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lieutenant--robyn · 2 years ago

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Sorry on my lack of posts of ominis!

He was in shed and Friday was a feeding day so I haven't had him out much.

Then yesterday he decided to poop on himself 🥲

Him looking pitiful while my fiance washes him.

Here he is in his emotional support moss ball looking innocent the day before he shat on himself 🥲

Get a snake they said.

It be fun they said 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #ominis x mc #ominis x oc #ominis x reader #ominis x y/n #white diamond ball python #ball python

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serenagaywaterford · 6 years ago

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Solstice Poem

I. Through the slit of our open window, the wind comes in and flows around us, nothingness in motion, like time. The power of what is not there. the snow empties itself down, a shadow turning to indigo, obliterating everything out there, roofs, cars, garbage cans, dead flowerstalks, dog turds, it doesn’t matter. you could read this as indifference on the part of the universe, or else a relentless forgiveness: all of our scratches and blots and mortal wounds and patched-up jobs wiped clean in the snow’s huge erasure. I feel it as a pressure, an added layer: above the white waterfall of snow thundering down; then attic, moth-balled sweaters, nomadic tents, the dried words of old letters; then stairs, then children, cats and radiators, peeling paint, us in our bed, the afterglow of a smoky fire, our one candle flickering; below us, the kitchen in the dark, the wink of pots on shelves; then books and tools, then cellar and furnace, graying dolls, a bicycle, the whole precarious geology of house crisscrossed with hidden mousetrails, and under that a buried river that seeps up through the cement floor every spring, and the tree roots snouting their slow way into the drains; under that, the bones of our ancestors, or if not theirs, someone’s, mixed with a biomass of nematodes; under that, bedrock, then molten stone and the earth’s fiery core; and sideways, out into the city, street and corner store and mall and underpass, then barns and ruined woodlands, continent and island, oceans, mists of story drifting on the tide like seaweed, animal species crushed and blinking out, and births and illnesses, hatred and love infra- red, compassion fleshtone, prayer ultra- violet; then rumours, alternate waves of sad peace and sad war, and then the air, and then the scintillating ions, and then the stars. That’s where we are. 2. Some centuries ago, when we lived at the edge of the forest, on nights like this you would have put on your pelt of a bear and shambled off to prowl and hulk among the trees, and be a silhouette of human fears against the snowbank. I would have chosen fox; I liked the jokes, the doubling back on my tracks, and, let’s face it, the theft. Back then, I had many forms: the sliding in and out of my own slippery eelskin, and yours as well; we were each other’s iridescent glove, the deft body all sleight-of-hand and illusion. Once we were lithe as pythons, quick and silvery as herring, and we still are, momentarily, except our knees hurt. Right now we’re content to huddle under the shed feathers of duck and goose as the wind pours like a river we swim in by keeping still, like trout in a current. Every cell in our bodies has renewed itself so many times since then, there’s not much left, my love, of the originals. We’re footprints becoming limestone, or think of it as coal becoming diamond. Less flexible, but more condensed; and no more scales or aliases, at least on the outside. Though we’ve accumulated, despite ourselves, other disguises: you as a rumpled elephant— hide suitcase with white fur, me as a bramble bush. Well, the hair was always difficult. Then there’s the eye problems: too close, too far, you’re a blur. I used to say I’d know you anywhere, but it’s getting harder. 3. This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath, the door of a vanished house left ajar. Taking hands like children lost in a six-dimensional forest, we step across. The walls of the house fold themselves down, and the house turns itself inside out, as a tulip does in its last full-blown moment, and our candle flares up and goes out, and the only common sense that remains to us is touch, as it will be, later, some other century, when we will seem to each other even less what we were. But that trick is just to hold on through all appearances; and so we do, and yes, I know it’s you; and that is what we will come to, sooner or later, when it’s even darker than It is now, when the snow is colder, when it’s darkest and coldest and candles are no longer any use to us and the visibility is zero: Yes. It’s still you. It’s still you.

-- Margaret Atwood

#because i found this really difficult to find in full online #poetry #margaret atwood #solstice #poem

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melabea · 1 year ago

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inbox check? (cant remember if i rqed from.u alr 🥲)

here's all of our current reqs (link)! & here's what our inbox is currently showing us (know for a fact it's not showing us all our asks </3)

Daisy, Whiskey, Rose, Mildew, Allspice, Ash, New Shoe Smell, Toxic Chemicals, Sandalwood, Paint, Chamomile, Gingerbread, Candy Corn, Green Apple, Cologne, Spearmint, Fresh Linen, and a floral + fruity scent

a deurseity gender related to silver foxes, golden dragonflies, whale skeleton lanterns, serpents, Monster Energy drinks, green & gold marble, and this image: (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ae/4d/d7/ae4dd7f01ae03468f69fa9c69c0eb995.jpg)

a TROPiN gender related to beagles, clear ocean water, aloe vera, palm fronds, ferns, pineapples, coral reefs & tropical fish, beaches, waterfalls, and Tropical aesthetics

an everithe gender related to pine martens, cassette tape, sunset meadows, flowering tea, flowers in ice, and evergreen trees

wilderic gender related to diamond vests, Pekin ducks, lily pads & sunsets, ponds, abandoned greenhouses, matcha, the Manhattan Toy Voyagers Stomp Dino, and the painting Allotments by David Inshaw

lumenoir gender related to amusement parks, picnics, late winter/early spring, rebirth, A. labiculata bugs, oranges, feelings of calm, and choosing happiness

aneastian gender related to black ravens & white ravens, red albino eyes, black and white pictures, red disco balls, white butterflies, the colours #890e07, #080806, and #e9e3dc, bass guitars, crimson roses, impressionist paintings, melancholy and being asocial

xenogender related to arctic foxes, pink rhodotus mushrooms, ball pythons, soft knitted wool, witch hats, bubbling cauldrons, strawberry moons, enchanted tea, rat skulls, the colours #e9bcc6, #822f4d, #5e2c42, & #491d23, and being a Bubblegum Witch

scene and emo genderqueer

an aesthetigender based on the animal crossing new horizons aquarium

bi-dynamic of xi and iota

mint chocolate scent

sweet liquor/bourbon soaked cherries and vanilla scent

Camp Maker & a Colony Maker

beta leaning & alpha leaning

#long post #inbox check #🌊 asks #anonymous

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thelantern · 6 years ago

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“Kinesthetically correct to be aesthetically correct”

Summary of the Andrea Falk Seminars, January 2019

Bagua Dao The weekend began with a continuing the study of Cheng Bagua sabre. Andrea Falk covered the following points and corrections:

1st Change 1. Forcefully hash a metal stone - use left arm to throw Sabre 2. Row with the broadsword - close left shoulder, extend left arm and lift sabre

3rd Change 14. Hook the broadsword while walking - start at top of circle 15. White snake spits its tongue - roll sabre with blade facing inwards, arm straight 16. Turn around and chop - lift left knee, foot forward

4th Change 26. Slice up while walking 27. Rollover and push the sabre - these 2 moves are low cuts 28. Grinding millstone 29. Cut behind the back - these 2 moves are a sweeping action. Look at the blade and coordinate left hand with bai bu, kou bu, bai bu stepping. Position of the right hand is different on completion of first and second sweeps because the grip is different.

5th Change 34. Grinding brandish with the sabre - sabre goes past the face with blade edge leading. Make sure the right arm is straight. The move finished with the left leg stepping back slightly. 35. Tear and banner in the wind - like the previous move, the sabre goes past the face with the blade leading and right arm straight. 36. Withered tree twines it’s roots - Thread the left hand behind the body with bai bu. Extend the left arm with the kou bu. Weight goes onto the right leg with the finishing cross-step, while extending the sabre. 38. Suspend the sabre - with the drop stance ensure the right arm is extended and left palm is at the right shoulder. 39. Dredge the moon from the sea bottom - ensure there is a clear rightward slice with the sabre. 40. Withdraw and cover - this with the previous move can be done 1 or 2 times.

6th Change 46. Wrap the sabre around the waist - this Change travels across the circle, travelling east and west.

52. Sweep across and army of a thousand 53. Hide a flower under a leaf - with these 2 moves coordinate the left hand with the left stepping, bringing the left hand to the back with the bai bu, extending the arm with the kou bu.

8th Change 57. Prop up posture - this movement begins at the bottom of the circle 58. Withered tree twines it’s roots - same is in Change 5 59. Suspend the sabre posture - similar to move 38 but left hand is at right wrist.

Xingyi Seminar Beginners were taught the five fundamental strikes, one for each of the five phases/elements: Pi/Chop, Zuan/Drill, Beng/Drive, Pao/Cannon, Heng/Crosscut. Proper stepping and launching power from the back leg was taught. Using structure rather than speed to generate power was practiced.

Di Gouyong has the following to say about each of the Five Elements Strikes: * Split hts mainly forward and down, a vertical, downward moving power. [To complete Split, the body compresses then lengthens to assit the downward force.] * Drill hits mainly forward and up, a vertical upward moving power. {To complete Drill, the body settles to assist the upward force.] * Drive hits straight forward, a straight and level power. [To complete drive, the body expands on the straight line.] * Cannon drills one hand p to deflect as the other hand punchesstraigh forward, a doagonal power that is effective in all directions. [To complete Cannon, the body compresses and expands in a diagonal form.] * Crosscut pulls one hand back as the other hand knocks across and forward, a horizontal power that covers all directions from the centre, and it is the key power. [To complete Crosscut, the body compresses and expands in a diamond form.] - Di Guoyong on Xingyiquan, vol. 1, pg 5

A video outlining the five fundamental strikes is posted on the club website.

Returning student reviewed the 12 Animal Forms. Key corrections included: * Dragon - make sure the cross stance is long and extend the shoulders * Tiger - the ending power comes from setting the shoulder downwards * Monkey - the strikes are done with a hard hit, but a loose palm. The initial catch is done with a soft power and changes into a pull with the step back. In Monkey Drops Back On Its Haunches, the lower arm is aligned elbow in, compared to the Snake posture, White Snake Coils Its Body which is more rotated. * Horse - this was practiced with the dodge followed by the aligned punch. With the striking arm, pull the elbow back and up, aligning the forearm before the strike. * Alligator - set into each leg and use compression into the torso to power the next move. * Chicken - For Golden Cock Treads On Snow, do not hop. * Swallow - In Plant A Punch, make sure the left low punch is aligned with the right forearm * Sparrowhawk - with the turn around, use the drawing in of the right arm to drive the left fist out. * Snake - cut the upper hand down stepping into the cross-stance. The strike can be either a tiao or a liao. * Tai Bird - power for the ending strike comes from folding in the elbows * Bear/Eagle Combined - Bear uses an aligned forearm strike, front weighted. Eagle uses an aligned stance press down.

Jiang Bagua Seminar Jiang Warm-up The warm up sequence begins with timing and extension, using 4 hand positions and 4 palm positions. Second, the same hand/palm sequence is done with kou and bai stepping (turning right first). At this stage, attention should be paid to setting properly into the hips. This is followed by circle walking with the same hand/palm sequence. One circle is walked in each direction using heel/toe stepping. Kou and bai stepping to turn around, turning to the outside of the circle. With the walking, attention is paid to keeping the steps natural but loosening the hips. Finally the Eight postures are used to walk the circle, each turn incorporating one technique: * Palms Pressing The Earth - pressing palm * Embracing the Moon - ramming palm * Yin/yang fish - spearing palm * Heaven and Earth - liao followed by spearing palm * Supporting Heaven - brace and catch * Lion Holds the Ball - vertical rolling * Present the Spear - horizontal rolling * Millstone Grinding - forearm catch

Jiang Bagua Changes Corrections for the Changes was provided. Overall Jiang style Bagua requires a smooth and unbroken internal connection and a proper setting deep into the hips. This style has more coiling than other styles, but Andrea warned against twisting movements without understanding the internal structure. “It must be kinesthetically correct to be aesthetically correct.”

The following is a summary of some of the key points taught for the 8 Changes. A complete translation of the movement names is available for free from Andrea Falk’s Lulu.com page. http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/tglbooks

1st Change key movements: * Violet Swallow Tosses It’s Wings - step into a horse stance * Hide A Flower Under A Leaf - thread the palm tight against the other elbow, bracing the forearms outwards 2nd Change key movements: * Golden Pheasant Shakes Its Wings - ensure force is directed equally to both arms * Pick A Helmet From Behind the Head - extend through the outside shoulder, while threading the other palm to the back. * Embrace The Moon In the Bosom - closing power comes from setting into the front hip 3rd Change key movements: * Sparrow Hawk Pierces the Sky - keep the wrist of the upper arm straight * Mount Tai Bears Down Its Weight - lift with the upper arm * Yellow Eagle Clutches The Throat - grasp and then lift wrist 4th Change key movements: * Golden Pheasant Shakes Its Wings - this move is done twice with the upper hand in different positions. The same alignment and power is used regardless of hand position. * Pull Up Cloak While Walking Along - use body power to strike upwards with the upper arm/shoulder * Bat Lands On the Ground - catch with with wrist/back of hand * Flying Swallow Skims The Water - cut with the ulnar edge of the palm and strike with the fingers 5th Change key movements: * Sweep Aside An Army of A Thousand (one side, then the other) - use the bai step to power the arm sweeps 6th Change key movements: * The Rhinoceros Gazes At the Moon - keep the body upright, lift with the upper forearm * The Heavenly King Lifts Up The Pagoda - use the movement of the inner hand to catch 7th Change key movements: * Lion Rolls The Ball - time the crossways pull with the inside foot * Lion Pounces On The Ball - complete the press as the inside foot lands. * Lion Opens Its Mouth - keep the body upright * Lion Rolls Over - complete the Change with a lift with the inside palm 8th Change * The Heavenly Steed Soars Across The Sky * Pull A Bow Astride The Steed * Golden Snake Coils Around The Willow * Wild Steed Charges A Manger - first time the outside hand strikes with a liao, the second time the inside hand strikes * Liu Hai Plays With A Toad - moving into this posture first roll the inside arm/shoulder so the palm faces outwards * Great Python Rolls Over - use the upper arm to wrap around the hand - end posture is similar to the Sixth Change, but the direction of the upper palm is different

An outline of the 8 Changes (unpolished but providing the general sequence) is posted online as a reference.

Andrea Falk’s next visit to Guelph will be June 15 and 16, 2019.

#baguazhang #xingyi #Internal Martial Art

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bondsfated-m-blog · 6 years ago

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Really LONG CHARACTER SURVEY. RULES. repost, don’t reblog !! TAGGED. no one in particular. TAGGING. anyone and everyone.

BASICS.

FULL NAME : arvio ramal NICKNAME : vio AGE : unknown, presumed 18+ BIRTHDAY : unknown, chose april 1st ETHNIC GROUP : unknown, presumed vacuoan NATIONALITY : vacuoan LANGUAGE / S : fluent in the common tongue and proficient in a dialect of vacuoan. SEXUAL ORIENTATION : pansexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : panromantic RELATIONSHIP STATUS : it’s complicated with both his patron and his mentor. SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS : middle HOMETOWN / AREA : city of vacuo CURRENT HOME : the second floor of a city shop. PROFESSION : student / hunter

PHYSICAL.

HAIR : black, with natural rust / copper highlights. regardless of length, it’s unruly and defies the best of efforts of whomever attempts to tame it. EYES : hazel. NOSE : upturned. FACE : diamond. LIPS : he has them. COMPLEXION : dark tan. BLEMISHES : none. SCARS : none. TATTOOS : none. HEIGHT : 6′1″ WEIGHT : hovers around 180 lbs. BUILD : rectangular body shape. body type is the ectomorph. he has lean muscle. NOTABLE FEATURES : maned wolf ears with coppery black fur and white tufts. disproportionately long legs. wolf’s tail, with copper fur that turns white at the end. ALLERGIES : none. USUAL HAIR STYLE : prior to the academy, his hair skimmed his mid-back. shortly after settling into team azur, it was chopped to a more practical intermediate length. in whatever style, his hair is thick and naturally spikes. good luck to whomever is attempting to brush it. for a reference, see this post and the image on the right. USUAL FACE LOOK : keenly interested yet easily distracted. usually cheerful. USUAL CLOTHING : a sleeveless, white, v-neck shirt ( intricate blue embroidery borders the sleeves and neck ). dark belt. dark pants with blue and gold designs down the seams, tucked into dark boots that reach just above the knee. several thin gold necklaces trail at differing lengths -- a deep blue jewel hangs from one. a gold armband on his right arm, in the form of a coiled snake with tiny versions of the same blue jewel set as its eyes. occasionally, a wide scarf is tucked across a shoulder and under his belt.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S : the unknown surrounding the past. losing the parts of himself he currently has. a shadow, lurking at the corners of his vision. its scent of ash, decay, and disease. ASPIRATION / S : to learn as much as possible from shade academy. to remember the years and people he’s forgotten. to travel with his mentor, as equals. POSITIVE TRAITS : curious. inventive. enthusiastic. devoted to his mentor, his sister, and his studies. NEGATIVE TRAITS : childish. defensive. short-tempered. stubborn. prideful, yet with an overall confidence that’s tanked. naive. MBTI : enfp-t. ZODIAC : aries. TEMPEREMENT : the sanguine. SOUL TYPE / S : the spiritualist. ANIMALS : baboon. VICE HABIT / S : can apologize, profusely to the degree of annoyance. prone to sleeping in. dodges details about himself.

FAITH : spirit worship. GHOSTS ? : yes. AFTERLIFE ? : yes. REINCARNATION ? : yes. ALIENS ? : why not. POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : n/a ECONOMIC PREFERENCE : he and his mentor hover firmly at middle class, primarily due to the rarity of their shop’s wares and the price they command. SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION : equality is a concept he supports. he has a general wariness for elected officials / nobles -- with the notable exception of his patron. EDUCATION LEVEL : meets the overall minimum standards of education. reads at a high level.

FAMILY.

FATHER : unknown MOTHER : unknown SIBLINGS : unknown EXTENDED FAMILY : none. however, he considers his mentor to be the most important person in his life. NAME MEANING / S : arvio means wanderer. ramal means sand and is one of the surnames available to those who don’t have one from birth. HISTORICAL CONNECTION ? : the aztec deity xolotl.

FAVORITES.

BOOK : he will devour whatever reading material is available. topics he gravitates towards most often include the arcane, history, and oddball factoids. MOVIE : he’ll sit for anything, but he particularly likes oddball documentaries and anything related to food and travel. 5 SONGS : one of his favorite things to do is wander the markets and listen to the musicians gathered for the day. the odder the instrument, the more he’s attracted to it.

DEITY : he honors a variety of deities, primarily nature spirits and those represented on his cards. HOLIDAY : he’s torn between the large festivals held in the spring and fall. MONTH : any during springtime. SEASON : spring. PLACE : he doesn’t remember traveling outside of the city. however, his patron’s gardens and his mentor’s home in the desert are the two places he seeks for comfort. WEATHER : clear, with a slight breeze. SOUND : his mentor at work. SCENT / S : incense. spices at the market. pumpkin bread, freshly made. lapsang souchong. any tagine. roasting meat. TASTE / S : savory and spicy. a hint of sweetness. FEEL / S : the arcana in his hands, accompanied with their small jolt of power that leaves his fingers tingling. his mentor’s hair. water. ANIMAL / S : any canine. a particular ball python. NUMBER : one. COLORS : blue, silver, red.

EXTRA.

TALENTS : his connection with the arcana. his semblance ( summoning cards that store objects and spells ). sleight of hand. hiding a ball python under his shirt. BAD AT : taking advice from those who aren’t his mentor and sister. being patient. TURN ONS : his mentor. his patron. confidence. easy-going. TURN OFFS : focusing on his faunus traits rather than him as a person. dismissing his mentor and their arcane skills. superiority, at the expense of putting him down. HOBBIES : caring for his mentor’s ball python. wandering the markets. providing tarot readings. clubbing. TROPES : attention deficit...ooh shiny! back from the dead. beware the silly ones. beware the nice ones. good is not soft. in touch with his feminine side. meaningful name. kindhearted simpleton. parental abandonment. sad clown. skilled but naive. AESTHETIC TAGS : n/a QUOTES : (1) “ if ignorance is bliss, then knowing will be the death of me. ” (2) “ but something drags me with fear teeth / i don’t know what i want. ” (3) “ apocalypse boy you won’t destroy all that you touch. you are more than your darkness and more than the death you carry in your hands. ” (4) the lyrics of run boy run, by woodkid

FC INFO.

MAIN FC / S : keaton, from fire emblem fates, is the closest reference. ALT FC / S : none, but searching. OLDER FC / S : none, but searching. YOUNGER FC / S : N/A VOICE CLAIM / S : none, but searching. GENDERBENT FC / S : N/A

#* CHAR. STUDY / ARVIO.

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mother-jim · 3 years ago

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"Shapechangers in Winter"

Margaret Atwood

darkest and coldest and candles are no longer any use to us and the visibility is zero: Yes. It’s still you. It’s still you.

ppl romanticize reading poems like silently drinking hot tea, sitting under a blanket by the fireplace like in a period drama etc. when it actually feels like this

#poetry #quote #quotes #poetry compilation #art #writing #if you recognize the last part but dont recognize why its might be bc of my jmart comic

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